G-Rod to Star in Action-Thriller “A Line of Fire”

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

G-Rod has come under fire…

The 46-year-old Venezuelan actor has joined the cast of the action-thriller A Line Of Fire, which is now filming in Los Angeles and Miami.OK

The actor, who’s full name is Gabriel Rodriguez, is among a roster of new cast additions that includes David A.R.White, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jason Patric, Katrina Bowman and Scott Baio.

Others starring in the film include Eve Richards, Vincent DePaul and Samantha Lockwood.

The synopsis reads: “After working as a secret agent in the FBI for ten years, Jack Conry aka “Cash” left it all behind after his wife passed in order to dedicate himself to his two daughters. Despite a fulfilling life at home, Cash misses the chance to make an impact and has been considering a return to the force. The decision is made for him when his old partner’s niece Jamie calls him for help, launching Cash right back into a world of danger, corruption and intrigue.”

The film’s director is Matt Shapira and writers are Shapira and Chris Covell.

G-Rod’s previous credits include Cobra Kai, Power, Chicago Fire and Ozark.

Chris Armas Named New Manager of MLS’ Colorado Rapids

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Armas is Rapids-ly headed to The Centennial State.

The Colorado Rapids have hired the 51-year-old Puerto Rican professional soccer coach and former player to be their next manager, according to ESPN.

Armas replaces Robin Fraser, who was dismissed in September with the Rapids languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Chris Little, who was also a finalist, took over on an interim basis, leading the club to a 2-4-2 mark.

That wasn’t enough to move the Rapids off the bottom of the table, as Colorado finished the season with 27 points and a record of 5-17-12.

Sources tell ESPN that Charlotte FC assistant Pa Modou Ka was also a finalist, as were two unnamed foreign managers.

Armas had the most managerial experience of any of the confirmed candidates.

Starting in 2015, he served as an assistant with the New York Red Bulls under Jesse Marsch, and took over as manager following Marsch’s departure midway through the 2018 campaign, leading the Red Bulls to that year’s Supporters Shield.

Armas struggled thereafter, however. He was let go by the Red Bulls midway through the 2020 season, and lasted less than a year as manager of Toronto FC as the team failed to produce results in 2021.

Armas later served as an assistant at Manchester United under Ralf Rangnick, and had a short stint with Leeds United where he was briefly reunited with Marsch.

As a player, Armas spent time in MLS with the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, the latter of which he won an MLS Cup with in 1998.

Armas also made 66 appearances with the U.S. men’s national team.

Sarah Shahi Signs with Independent Artist Group & Untitled Entertainment

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sarah Shahi is under new representation (and management).

The 43-year-old part-Spanish actress has signed with agency Independent Artist Group while inking a deal with Untitled Entertainment for management at the same time.

Shahi, who most recently starred in the hit Amazon Prime Video film Red, White & Royal Blue, is perhaps best known for leading Stacy Rukeyser’s show Sex/Life. She portrayed Billie Connelly, a Connecticut mother of two suffering a midlife crisis, whose wild child past winds up on a collision course with her very married present.

Inspired by BB Easton’s novel 44 Chapters About 4 Men, the drama wrapped up a two-season run in March.

Shahi’s Red, White & Royal Blue, based on Casey McQuiston’s bestseller, debuted as the streamer’s No. 1 movie globally in August and ultimately became one of its three most-watched rom-coms of all time.

Directed by Matthew Lopez, the film examines the complications that ensue when a romance blossoms between the son of the U.S. President (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and a British prince (Nicholas Galitzine). Shahi portrays Zahra Bankston, the deputy chief of staff for POTUS Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman).

Last fall, Shahi last starred opposite Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam, which came in at No. 1 at the domestic box office for three straight weeks. In the superhero flick, which grossed close to $400 million globally, she portrayed Adriana, a university professor and freedom fighter who fights alongside Black Adam to restore freedom to her country.

She also received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Rachel Behnam, a street-smart investigator for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, in Showtime’s City on a Hill.

Her additional credits include series like The Rookie, Chicago Fire, Person of Interest and The L Word, along with the films For Your Consideration and Old School.

Shahi continues to be represented by attorney Lev Ginsburg of Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.

Chris Armas Joining Coaching Team at Leeds United

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Armas is ready to leed(s)…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican professional soccer coach and former player will join the coaching team of fellow American Jesse Marsch at Leeds United.

The former Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls coach was most recently an assistant coach at Manchester United, working under Ralf Rangnick last season.

The former USMNT international and MLS player is expected to be in the dugout for Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup round four tie at Accrington Stanley, subject to obtaining a work permit.

About the appointment, Leeds United head coach Marsch said: “He will be a fantastic addition to the staff, he brings a wealth of experience from across the world and having worked closely with him previously, I am sure he will help us to improve every day.”

Director of football Victor Orta added: “We always have constant ideas to improve the team around Jesse and with Chris it is a perfect fit, they have both worked together in the past and he has experience of working in the Premier League.

“Chris was one of the best ever players in the history of the United States and his determination and skills will add value to our club and we are really happy he has joined us.”

Armas won 66 caps for the USMNT alongside a playing career that included spells with LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire. He played alongside Marsch at Chicago Fire. He also took over at NYRB as head coach when Marsch left for RB Leipzig in 2018.

Leeds has American players Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson in its team, and has been linked with a move for another U.S. international, Weston McKennie.

Netflix Orders Reggaeton-Themed Comedy Series “Neon,” Starring Tyler Dean Flores

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Tyler Dean Flores is bringing a little reggaeton to Netflix…

Netflix has given a series order to Neon, a comedy series starring the Puerto Rican actor.

The project is set in the world of the musical genre that birthed the song “Despacito,” the second-most-viewed video ever on YouTube.

Flores, Emma Ferreira, Jordan Mendoza and Courtney Taylor star in the series, which hails from creator Shea Serrano with Max Searle set as showrunner.

Serrano, the author of The Rap Year Book, is behind Amazon Freevee series Primo with Mike Schur and Searle is co-showrunner of the second season of Chad and co-exec producer of Dave.

The eight-part series focuses on three friends who move from a small town in Florida to Miami with the hopes of making it big in the world of reggaeton. The show chronicles not only their larger than life dreams but the harsh comic realities of attempting to make it in the music industry.

Flores (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) plays Santi, a budding reggaeton artist who, with the help of his friends, Ness, played by (Ferreira) and Felix, (Mendoza) and A&R rep, Mia (Taylor) hopes to become the biggest reggaeton star in the world. Or at least make rent.

The series is executive produced by Serrano and Searle. It comes from Scooter Braun’s SB Projects with Braun executive-producing alongside Scott Manson and James Shin. Kyle Vinuya is co-executive producer. Mendoza also serves as consulting producer.

Flores’ previous credits include The Dark Knight Rises, When They See Us and Chicago Fire.

Lilah Richcreek Estrada to Appear on NBC’s “Chicago Med”

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lilah Richcreek Estrada is hospital-bound…

The half-Latina American actress has joined the cast of NBC’s Chicago Med as a recurring guest star.

Season 8 premieres on September 21 at 8 p.m. followed by Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire.

Richcreek Estrada will portray Nellie Cuevas, a psych fellow working alongside Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt).

Chicago Med follows the lives of an elite team of medical professionals working in the emergency room at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

Chicago Med is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Richcreek Estrada most recently starred in the Disney+ series Four Dads and the Untitled Leslie Odom and Kerry Washington Project for NBC.

Her other credits include ABC’s The Wonder Years, FX’s Dave, and Netflix’s Grace and Frankie.

Benjamin Levy Aguilar Upped to Series Regular on NBC’s “Chicago P.D.”

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more Windy City moments in Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s future…

The Guatemalan actor has been promoted to series regular for Season 10 of NBC’s Chicago P.D.

He will reprise the role of Dante Torres who, fresh off patrol, comes to Intelligence as a rookie.

He made his debut as the character in the Season 9 episode titled “New Guard,” but first appeared in the series as Franco Chavaro two seasons prior.

All-new episodes of Chicago P.D. are set to premiere on September 21 at 10:00 pm following Chicago Med (8:00 pm) and Chicago Fire (9:00 pm) as part of the network’s “One Chicago” lineup.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group and Wolf Entertainment.

Aguilar is best known for his breakout role on Fox’s Filthy Rich where he portrayed Antonio Rivera. He most recently recurred in Netflix’s The Woman in the House Across The Street From The Girl With The Window as Rex Bakke opposite Kristen Bell.

Chris Armas In Talks to Join Coaching Staff at Manchester United

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Armas could be headed across the pond…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican former United States international midfielder and two-time Major League Soccer (MLS) head coach could be headed to Manchester United.

Armas would reportedly become part of Ralf Rangnick‘s staff, according to ESPN.

A work permit would be needed for Armas, whose last job was head coach of Toronto FC. He previously led the New York Red Bulls to a Supporters’ Shield win in 2019.

Sources have told ESPN that Rangnick, who was appointed head of Red Bull‘s global football projects in 2019, is being allowed to appoint a “small number” of his own coaching staff to work alongside Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna, both of whom were part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s backroom team.

Another of Solskjaer’s assistants, Michael Carrick, left the club after taking charge of the team for three games before Rangnick’s appointment as interim coach until the end of the season.

Rangnick was asked about the possibility of bringing in his own staff at his official unveiling ahead of the win over Crystal Palace and said any appointments may take time to arrange.

“I’m more than happy to work with the current coaching staff because I need their experience, I need their expertise regarding the current squad,” he said.

“I will obviously try to find one, two, maybe three people who can join us in one or two weeks, but due to the Brexit regulations it’s not too easy.

“Many of my former colleagues, no matter if it’s video analysts or assistant coaches, are in long-term contracts with big clubs, so they are not available right now, and we have to be a bit smart and clever and find the right people.

“I hope that we can get them in here in the next one or two weeks.”

Armas played in MLS for LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, with whom he won a championship in 1998, and was capped 66 times by the USMNT. He ended his playing career in 2007.

Monica Raymund to Star in Dick Wolf’s Scripted Podcast Drama Series “Dark Woods”

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a dark time for Monica Raymund.

The 35-year-old half-Dominican American actress and Hightown star will star opposite Corey Stoll and Reid Scott in Dark Woods, a scripted podcast drama series from Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment.

The thriller centers around the suspicious death of a young park volunteer in the California Redwood Forest.

It’s the Law & Order creator’s second foray into the world of scripted podcasts after the launch of Hunted, starring Parker Posey and Brandon Scott, in 2019.

It brings together two actors from the wider Wolf world; Stoll played Detective Tomas Jaruszalski in Law & Order: LA, while Raymund starred as Gabriela Dawson Casey in Chicago Fire.

The series, which launches on November 8, begins when the body of a young volunteer is discovered in the middle of the California redwoods. It brings together two estranged ex-spouses, a stubborn game warden and a charismatic councilwoman, who must put their personal differences aside to learn the terrifying truth about what is happening in their state park. The investigation leads to a surprising twist impacted by illegal marijuana grow sites and a much larger crime organization.

Written by David Pergolini and directed by Takashi Doscher, it is executive-produced by Dick Wolf and Elliot Wolf. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Endeavor Content in association with Waverunner Studios.

The series was recorded remotely with Raymund recording during breaks from Starz’ Hightown, Stoll was in New York and Scott was in LA.

Wolf (right) added that the sound design was key to the audio drama, the idea of creating traditional scenes that would be strong enough to follow along without a visual.

“The goal was to make this as an immersive experience as possible and to make it feel as real life as possible. The actual sound design is largely recorded sounds in the forest. When you hear a coffee mug being picked up, it’s an actual coffee mug,” he said.

Juan Carlos Coto Developing First-Responders Drama Series for CBS, “Rescue: MIA”

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Carlos Coto is coming to the rescue…

The Latino producer, writer, and veteran film and television showrunner is developing Rescue: MIA, a first-responders series for CBS.

Coto, executive producer on 9-1-1 who also served as consulting producer on 9-1-1: Lone Star, wrote the pilot from a story co-written by NCIS: Los Angeles director James Hanlon who also has directed episodes of Station 19 and Chicago Fire.

The drama is executive produced by a star of one of CBS’ hit procedurals, NCIS: Los Angeles’ Eric Christian Olsen, via his Cloud Nine Productions.

Somewhat in the vein of CBS’ juggernaut Blue Bloods, Rescue: MIA revolves around a legendary family of first responders that works together to rescue the citizens of Miami from emergencies and disasters, even as long-buried secrets threaten to tear apart their familial bonds.

Hanton was a NYC firefighter on the ground during and in the aftermath of 9/11, and his documentary film 9/11 won a Peabody Award as well as two Emmys.

Coto, Hanlon and Olsen executive produce Rescue: MIA. CBS Studios where Cloud Nine has a deal, is the studio.

Coto is writing and serves as executive producer/showrunner on The Ledger, an action drama at Will Packer Media headlined by Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña.

Known for his work as showrunner on Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Coto also previously co-executive produced the CW’s Nikita and worked on NBC’s Heroes and Fox’s 24.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Chicago Fire